Flagitious Essence
by tomboystimes
Summary: His face was nostalgic...like a memory, but that was impossible if she'd never met him before. Life is difficult, but everything seemed so easy before, ever since Lileth is thrown into an imposible task. Tom Riddle/OC
1. The Impossible Task

The Impossible Task

It had been several weeks after Dumbledore had showed them the memories in the pensieve. A slight shiver involuntarily ran through her body, the visions were getting clearer. Right now she stood outside the Head's office waiting for the next meeting, as an owl had swooped down towards the Gryffindor table earlier that morning telling her to arrive at 8 o'clock sharp. Lileth would have marched right past the gargoyle if only she remembered the password and after a few fruitless guesses of all the sweets she could think of, she gave up and waited for Harry to turn up instead. Coincidence seemed to be on her side because just then the raven haired boy was running down the corridor towards her. Lileth noticed how he was drenched in rainwater and panting when coming to a halt beside her.

"How was quidditch then?" Lileth asked Harry hoping she didn't miss out on much. His breaths slowed down and he gave an annoyed glare in her direction.

"You can't keep skipping the sessions after school you know, and you didn't miss out on much... I cancelled it after ten minutes because of the rain." His first reaction of annoyance quickly turned to glum as he finished the sentence. She sighed and quickly turned to her best friend, it was bad enough her not showing up while he was captain and had most of the pressure on his shoulders this year.

"I'm sorry, but you know Snape would have had my head if I didn't finish his bloody essay, seriously, I think he's taking the Dark Arts job a bit overboard." It was true, after he got the long-awaited position he was as sour as ever asking for long essays and chapters to be read every week. She didn't understand how Harry managed to get his work done most of the time with being quidditch captain and attending Dumbledore's meetings. Then again, he did have Ron and Hermione to copy off afterwards.

"Cockroach Cluster" Harry mumbled the password causing the ugly gargoyle to spring to life and jump aside leading to a spiralling staircase below the Head's Office.

"Fair enough, but I just don't like our chances this year" He continued as they ascended to the higher level which revealed an impatient Albus Dumbledore. Lileth realised how he was following the footsteps of their previous captain Oliver Wood, constantly ranting on about the chances or progress of the team.

Her eyes moved towards the dimly lit room that had pictures of the previous Headmasters snoozing along the polished walls. The warmth along with importance of the room never failed to amaze her, soon she began to stare in awe at the little trinkets and instruments that made dull sounds and moved of their own accord in the background. However, the most beautiful thing in the room had to be Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix. He noticed the two enter and spread his wings in a welcoming gesture before going back to his nap, similar to the portraits.

"A little late today, but no matter I have something important to discuss with you" Her attention focussed on the bearded man in front of her as she took a seat opposite his desk similar to Harry. He was looking tired yet his eyes showed no sign of age, they were light blue and shone in the room.

"Sorry, I forgot the password" Lileth replied a little sheepishly, it was at least 8:17 by now which made them quite late. Harry didn't bother explaining his quidditch but remained waiting for the Headmaster to continue.

Dumbledore sat back down onto his chair and placed the tips of his fingers lightly together in concentration as to how to begin. He looked at both boy and girl in front of him and sighed, he had to explain the real plan to the children tonight. The reason behind showing them the memories of the Gaunt family and Tom Riddle's orphanage were important but last week's pensieve experience was the key. It was the memory of the teenage Tom Riddle asking, a younger yet still round bellied, Slughorn what a horcrux was. Both knew by now it was the splitting of one's soul, the deepest, darkest magic that any wizard could do to themselves in the hunt for immortality.

Lileth still had shivers of the thought and was a bit apprehensive of the meeting. Thanks to Harry's use of Felix Felicis before questioning Slughorn, they were now certain Voldemort had created horcruxs, seven to be exact.

"After last week's revelations, I'm sure you've both thought about the items that Tom Riddle would be eager to turn into horcruxs, am I correct?" Dumbledore asked the pupils in front of him.

It was true, try as she might to avoid thinking of the matter; her mind did wonder what the items could be. Actually, her dreams also seemed to reveal some strange images but for now, everything was a blur. Harry and Lileth glanced at each other; they did have an idea of what they might be.

"We were thinking sir...maybe they had something to do with the four houses?" Harry slowly suggested what Lileth and he had come to agree about last night in the common room. Dumbledore nodded and smiled pleasantly at the pair.

"That is correct, the horcruxs are most likely to be objects belonging to the Four Founders of Hogwarts; but I highly doubt Voldemort got hold of Godric Gryffindor's Sword. It has remained with the school under close observation of myself and the previous Headmaster, Armando Dippet. I do not believe it was converted into a horcrux" Dumbledore smiled once again and glanced at his left, where reassuringly the sword was placed next to the sorting hat.

"What about the other three founders? He probably got hold of their objects since Hogwarts doesn't have them anymore" Lileth looked away from the gleaming sword back towards Dumbledore and Harry nodded at her statement.

"That's true, you said yourself Professor they've been lost" Harry pressed on, wanting to be definite of what the objects were. The old man sighed and shook his head; yes they were missing and probably turned into dark objects long ago.

"Yes Harry, I agree with you both. I do believe the other Founder's objects are horcruxs. Tom Riddle was very fond of possessing prizes as you saw from the orphanage –but we cannot be certain. We have destroyed the ring and diary yes, but that still leaves out five horcruxs and only three of those could be Founder objects."

Lileth did find it strange, what could the two other horcruxs be? It felt as if they were so close to finding out the truth each week but still miles away every time a piece of the puzzle was missing. From the corner of her eye she could see Harry's face concentration until it also gave up like hers and turned to face the Headmaster. Dumbledore looked fairly cheerful for just throwing a problem at them to figure out and before either of the two spoke to tell him they had no idea what the other two objects were, he said something quite surprising.

"How are your dreams lately, Miss Smith?" Dumbledore's eyes held a little sparkle but mostly worry. He hadn't asked the question for a while; actually he never did which made it sound so strange. However, it had been Lileth who told Dumbledore about her strange dreams due to Harry's persuasion all summer ("Voldemort might be trying to get in your mind like he did with me! You have to let Dumbledore know!") After telling him on the first day back to Hogwarts, both Harry and Lileth began their sessions with Dumbledore from time to time.

"They're a bit blurry...I think I saw flashes of objects before I even knew about horcruxs and...I still see..._him_" Lileth's eyes unfocused as she tried to remember her dreams, but no way were they going to become clear now if they hadn't before.

"Ah, Tom still?" He asked and Lileth nodded, frustrated and confused by the boy who kept visiting her every other night in her sleep.

Harry perked up to listen as Dumbledore continued to speak.

"First I thought the Dark Lord was trying to get into your mind but why would he give you visions of his younger self? It seems too unrealistic and I think the images you are receiving are mere coincidence. They might have a deeper meaning but, as you can see, I am no Seer or dream interpreter." With a sigh the old man looked at the wall behind them wondering if the answer was written there.

It was true; Lileth had been seeing Tom Riddle in her dreams. First she thought it was a random bloke she'd seen some where but the images of him got clearer in the summer and she saw him wearing the school uniform. Hogwarts also appeared sometimes along with other grainy faces of people she didn't recognise. The school looked older in her dreams and she had never seen the boy in it before. Lileth didn't even see Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets in second year like Harry did to realise who the boy was. One day she was so sick and tired of seeing a stranger in Hogwarts robes she decided to write a letter to Harry because he had his fair share of strange dreams. However when Lileth described him as handsome, tall with dark black hair and chocolate brown eyes, Voldemort wasn't really Harry's first guess.

It wasn't until the first day of school Harry and Lileth both appeared and Dumbledore pulled out the silvery memory from her temple and placed it in the pensieve did they realise with a shock that the boy was in fact, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Dumbledore pondered for months until he asked them to visit his office today about what should be done. The first step was to ignore the dreams until they went away, but they didn't. So now the Headmaster chose to believe there was a deeper meaning for there occurrence. With a deep sigh he returned his gaze back to the pupils and wondered if his plan was ever going to work.

"Miss Smith, how would you take it if I said your dreams could be useful...to the 'mission'" Dumbledore tried to chose his words carefully but there was no sugar coating the fact he was about to send the girl off to complete a very, dangerous plan. If all worked well and she agreed, Harry would be several steps in the lead against Voldemort.

Lileth stared at the Head confused for a moment, _what mission?_

"Uhh, I don't understand. What mission and how is it linked to my dreams, sir?" Tom Riddle dreams were strange and she guessed that's why he showed them memories of Voldemort's past. Harry seemed to look just as confused and after hearing the word 'mission', sat on the edge of his seat.

"You said you saw glimpses of possible horcruxs?"

Lileth nodded "But they were too blurry, so I don't-"

Dumbledore waved his hand and continued again stopping her mid-sentence.

"Yes, I understand but these links to Tom Riddle cannot be ignored anymore. It is too much of a coincidence to see flashes of his life and dark objects in your dreams Miss Smith. I have thought of the idea for a while and I realise there is a definite connection between your mind and Voldemort's past –for some reason, I still don't understand why. But, I have an idea that can help us determine the horcruxs. I will not force you Miss Smith as you can decide for yourself but it will be of great help." The Headmaster had once again regained a shine in his eyes. He believed the plan would work and with Lileth's obvious visions –it seemed as if the universe was telling him to go ahead with it.

She knew something was bound to happen in today's meeting, but not this drastic. However, she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing! The dreams had annoyed her for _far too long_ and she was distraught when Dumbledore told her to '_ignore them'_ at the beginning of the year. Finally, some action.

"Okay, I'll do it... but what am I doing exactly?" She felt as if she was asked to blindly cross the road.

Harry didn't seem too pleased either. Throughout the whole dialogue he failed to hear his name in any part.

"Sir, what will I do?" He blatantly asked the Head who just smiled in his direction over his glasses.

"Oh, I knew you would ask Harry, but I'm sorry to say my answer is –nothing. The plan alone is perfect for Miss Smith as she has been having these dreams alone. Also, I think if you met Tom Riddle you would not have as much self-restraint and would probably want to harm him in some way."

Both students were now shocked and truly wondering what he old man was talking about. Harry felt hopeless because he couldn't do anything and Lileth was trying to place the pieces together until she went over the words '_met Tom Riddle'_ again.

Getting up from her chair she looked between both Dumbledore and the boy next to her, as if he played some part in the plan but obviously didn't because he looked just as confused.

Placing loose hairs behind her ears and rolling up her sleeves, Lileth looked straight at the Head and spoke evenly trying not to show any signs of worry in her voice.

"What do you mean by meeting Tom Riddle? What does the plan involve exactly?" She tried to sound indifferent as possible but inside she was frEakinsg out. Had she agreed to some sort of wild goose chase rotating around Voldemort?

Dumbledore looked amused at the Harry and Lileth's expression; maybe it was too much of a jump from their usual memory observing.

"Well, like I said I wont force you to do anything" He began and Lileth instantly felt relieved but a sense of responsibility still hung over her. She looked over at Harry for some words but he just shrugged, wanting to know what the Professor had to say so she turned allowing him to continue.

"There has to be a reason behind Tom Riddle appearing in your dreams, you cannot imagine a person you have never seen before to randomly stroll in your brain freely without having some link I thought. Also, with the images of the Horcruxs, everything seems to fit in place. We are looking for the objects and you, Miss Smith, will help us determine what they are." Before either of them could say '_how the bloody hell'_ the man began once more.

"Time turners can be very useful at times like these, well apart from acquiring extra subjects of course."

Lileth wondered how often there was a useful time to go back and visit Voldemort but chose to ignore her thoughts and continued to listen.

"Miss Smith, you are going to go back in time, 1943 to be exact to when young Tom Riddle was in his 6th year at Hogwarts as you are now. You do not have to necessarily befriend him but it could be useful into finding out the objects that have been turned into horcruxs. You'll have to keep an eye out for things that I missed, despite the fact I was suspicious of him even then. Once you have the information I want you to come directly back using the time turner." He finished and looked at Lileth waiting for her response.

"Okay, so basically –find Riddle; get him to tell me what the horcruxs are then come back as soon as possible? ...Sound easy..." Although, she didn't sound very convinced. Dumbledore was deciding whether to scare her before the mission but decided she should be well informed.

"I'm afraid it's not the simple. Riddle had a close knit group of friends and he was very persuasive. I doubt he would let you into all his secrets on the first encounter. Also, you do not need to hear evidence of the Horcruxs from his mouth exactly. If there is a definite inclination or fascination towards an object you notice when around him, then it is mostly likely to be a horcrux. Please be careful, even as a teenager I can still say he was very dangerous and secretive."

Lileth's first reaction was to be scared but then she realised her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know about the dreams and why they were happening to her –she wanted to meet the devil himself. Harry seemed to have picked up on the new ideas forming in her head and frowned.

"Sir, are you sure about this? Being alone with Riddle is not safe and I could even go instead of Lileth." Harry seemed determined. Both of them wanted to go for different reasons, Lileth to solve the mystery that had been bugging her all year and Harry because he wanted to end it all –the prophecy, the wait and avenge his parents. But mostly it was the wait that killed him. He hated waiting and being useless while his friends were in danger. Dumbledore shook his head softly understanding the boy's emotions.

"I'm sorry Harry but you're going to have to trust Miss Smith on this."

Lileth turned to Harry once again, her face smiling reassuringly at his rather hesitant one.

"Trust me Harry, I can do this. I hate seeing his face in my dreams for no reason, I need to know. I hate being so close to knowing what the horcruxs are, yet miles away. I can do this –I want to do this! I know it's hard for you but believe me when I say this, if the plan works tracking down the horcruxs will be so much easier." Lileth placed a friendly hand on his shoulder while he still debated in his head, until he realised he actually had no choice in the matter to begin with.

Getting up to stand next to her, he muttered a few inaudible words that sounded like 'Fine...but if I...Its still dangerous..." Grinning, Lileth looked back at Dumbledore who also stood up in front of them.

"Sorry Harry, you can't be hero every time" She smirked at the boy next to her, which he returned with a scowl.

"It's not about hero, it's risky!" Harry shot back now looking angry once more at his friend, she had not idea. However, Lileth just smiled more in his direction, she knew Harry had thing for being overprotective and looking out for the people he was close to. She chose to ignore it this time and wanted to be of some use. It was always Harry fighting the Dark Lord, if she gave some assistance it helped her feel like she was actually doing something, instead of sitting around waiting for the Boy who Lived to save the day. Even if it was just finding out what the objects were, she needed to help and felt responsible –heck, even the dreams were some obvious clues as to why she needed to do this!

Dumbledore cleared his throat and grinned as he pulled out a fat letter and golden time turner like the one Lileth saw Hermione wear in her third year.

"Well, I'm glad we've all reached an agreement-" Harry glared once more at Lileth "-And I think you'll be ready to head off in exactly three minutes"

"What? Three minutes –I'm sorry but you want me to travel back to 1943 in just three minutes? I haven't even packed or said bye to anyone! I'm not even going to be mentally prepared -nevermind physically in just three minutes!" Lileth's mouth hung open in a comical 'O' shape, her previous heroic nature melted quickly into panic.

"Ah! Don't worry, all you need is in this letter and quickly place this Time Turner around your neck, you hardly have two minutes to spare now!"

Dumbledore handed over the letter and Time turner to her across his table and she roughly placed it over her head. The clock on his wall full of snoring previous head teachers showed it was exactly 8:58pm. Breathing heavily, she took in her surrounding she wouldn't be seeing for a while. Fawkes was sleeping peacefully and next behind the polished wooden desk was Dumbledore looking at her with the sparkling glint he had in his eyes. Lileth's eyes now stared at the boy in front with jet black hair. She tried smiling at him but he wasn't looking at her face.

His eyes were trained on the time tuner around her neck. Before she or Dumbledore could stop him and before anyone could even react, Harry did something shocking. The clock was seconds away from reading 9 o'clock but the boy's seeker-like reflexes proved to be faster. His hand reached for the chain around Lileth's neck and before she could even acknowledge what had happened –it was done. Pulling the chain over his head as Lileth's form began to disappear; they were both sucked back into time itself.


	2. Hogwarts 1943

Hey there, sorry I forgot to say a couple of things in the last chapter. I hope you really like this and there will be Tom in this chapter!..sorta, well you'll see. There's alot more background info on Lileth's character in this chapter which'll be fun! Please review and tell me what you think, dont be a silent reader! Even if you dont know what to say just say 'Hi..' or something! I love Tom Riddle and my love has turned into an obbsession so I had to write this, enjoy! :)

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><p><strong>Hogwarts 1943<strong>

POP.

The orange swirling and spinning around their heads came to a stop. Lileth had a strange feeling in her stomach, as if she was just flung around in the air like a rag doll. Groggily getting up, she rubbed her eyes and moved back the annoying brown hair away from her face. Harry a few feet behind her began stirring as well let out a painful groan as he landed flat on his face. Lileth brushed the stray dust off her robes and pulled her hitched up skirt back down and turned to face him. The vague image of him grabbing onto the time tuner and placing it over his head was still fresh in her memory, despite a nauseous time travel.

"Idiot! Why'd you grab hold of it? Now we're both stuck here!" she shot, glaring at the boy in front of her who had his glasses on lop-sided due to the fall. Harry stiffened but then returned the glare in her direction.

"We're not stuck here, now there's two of us the quicker we can find out what the horcruxs are-" He cleaned the lenses of round glasses with the end of his robes and began looking around wildly . "-Where's that letter anyway?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she looked at her surroundings which appeared to be some sort of classroom as there were tables and chairs scattered around the room. It looked similar to their modern day Hogwarts Classrooms but this one was empty and there was no distinctive way to tell for which subject. At the front there was a large desk for the teacher but only Harry and Lileth were present in the room.

"Now what? We just walk out and start introducing ourselves?" She sighed, glancing at the boy who looked just as dumbfounded. Before either could continue to ponder on the matter the wooden door burst open. For a split second Lileth thought they hadn't travelled back in time at all but just got knocked out and woke up in a different room. Once again, Dumbledore stood and smiled at the two just as he had done a few minutes ago. However, she noticed a difference in his appearance, he looked younger and his beard was not completely white, his robes were not of majestic colours like gold and silver but deep red and brown. The only similarity was his smile and blue twinkling eyes –oh, and he also held the letter in his hands.

A look of panic crossed Harry's face and Lileth glanced back unsure, was the 1943 Professor going to recognise them?

"Um, hello?" She smiled weakly not giving away anything in case Dumbledore actually did not know who they were. He looked quite calm as if people often fell through time and landed in his class.

"Hello, Miss Smith" Dumbledore said and nodded at the two who came closer to his desk where he sat down. In his hand was the letter, it was open, within was a single sheet. Lileth wondered if any had gone missing because remembered the envelope being quite thick.

"Hi Professor...could you tell us what year this is?" Harry asked still a bit dizzy from the landing.

"1943, and the date is September 1st, you two are right in time for the new school year."

"The letter –have you read it?" said Lileth.

Dumbledore nodded at her question and opened up the folds of the parchment. On it was his own handwriting 50 years on from where they were now.

"Yes, I have. I was just about to leave to head off for the feast when you two appeared in my classroom. Quite a nasty fall you took-" He looked at Harry "-Also, a letter bounced right out of your hand Miss Smith so I went to take a look at it. Extraordinary words written...I would have never thought my future self to send two pupils into the past –let alone become Headmaster of Hogwarts!" He laughed and Harry let out a grin, despite being the greatest wizard in their eyes Dumbledore was as modest as ever.

"Unfortunately Peeves thought it amusing to scare a few first years into running out of the castle, so I had to see to that outside and when I returned you two got up. Quite a challenge I've set out for you, well my future self at least." He looked sombrely at the letter, the Dumbledore they were talking to now was a much softer man who would later have more authority. Although, he did still have an aura of power which came off him naturally, being Dumbledore.

"Sir, you know about the horcruxs?" Lileth asked trying to read off the neatly slanted words on the letter.

"No, I'm afraid I have no idea what horcruxs are at the moment, the letter describes them as dark objects related to the student Tom Riddle. I have to say I have been suspicious of that boy ever since he came to Hogwarts. The letter also clearly states you will be attending classes as 6th year students and need to be sorted into houses...again?" Frowning he agreed to the request.

"Again? Why, there's no need we have our houses –Gryffindor" Lileth didn't like the idea but Dumbledore would have had a reason behind it, maybe to be closer to Riddle? But the chances of her in Slytherin were low, as long as she had a say.

Once again a frown returned to the old man's face and he stared at Harry as if he finally noticed him there.

"The letter mentions Miss Smith, but not you. Why is that?" Dumbledore quizzed Harry who became slightly red at the comment. _Great,_ a hole in the plan already thanks to his heroic antics.

"He wasn't meant to come; he kind-of placed the time turner over his head in the last second." Lileth injected, looking crossly at the boy next to her. The time tuner did not escape like the letter, she felt it safely cold against her neck tucked into her shirt.

"Sort of happened in the moment..." Harry added awkwardly wondering if his actions actually distorted the plan.

Dumbledore nodded but didn't seem too surprised, instead he smiled at Harry.

"Oh that's fine, the only slight problem is that you may not have a trunk full of clothes and spell books now."

"Wait –I have a trunk? I didn't even bring anything with me?" Lileth was eyeing the letter once again, she was sure it was heavier before. Her suspicions were correct when Dumbledore pulled out a small doll-sized trunk from his embellished pockets and placed it on his desk. He muttered a spell and the object grew until it looked identical to her trunk back at Hogwarts, well the future one.

"It was in the letter, but unfortunately Mr...- " He waited for Harry to fill in the gap.

"Potter."

"Mr Potter will not have any clothes for his stay at Hogwarts, unless he manages to borrow some from a few willing friends, or we could have a house-elf arrange something for you" The professor considered Harry who had a dull look of regret on his face for acting so rashly before.

Lileth was full on grinning at him, trying to hide a laugh that was close to escaping. Harry rather sneak off to Hogsmeade for clothes than have a house-elf knit him a sweater. She might be able to lend him a few clothes but doubted they would fit him anyway.

"Oh look at the time, I thought we should get you sorted into houses but the feast is close to finishing and you both could do with a meal.-" Dumbledore smiled lightly and headed towards the door adding "-don't worry Miss. Smith, I'll send up your trunk to your dormitory but we must really head off to the feast."

The two followed him out of the classroom into the corridor. Hogwarts looked the same but there was a dull air about it, not as many portraits were hanging on the walls and there were no students, presumably all at the feast. Lileth thought back to the image of Tom Riddle in her head and wondered if she'd see him; now that there was Harry it would be twice as difficult to control their emotions. Yes, their task was to discover the remaining five horcruxs but Lileth still had a nagging feeling telling her it would _be so much easier if they just killed Riddle now_ so there wouldn't have to be a Voldemort. It was a nice thought, but obviously too much would change in the future and it would've been too easy to be true. She was hoping Harry wouldn't do anything reckless throughout the mission_, actually on second thought_; they should keep each other in check. Lileth wasn't so sure of herself sometimes and the pain of her Aunt and Uncle Longbottom being tortured by his followers still caused pain. Her parents worked at the Gringotts bank France leaving her with hardly had any time to see them. Her mother still wanted her to attend Hogwarts so she lived with her cousin Neville and his grandmother, who didn't Lileth very much, no surprises there. Neville was a sweet kid, despite him being a month older than her; she treated him like a little brother. A soft, longing sort of wrench suddenly hit her heart. She didn't get a chance to say goodbye to anyone and the mission wasn't that straightforward. Who knew how long they had to stay here?

"I wonder what everyone's doing back at home" Lileth smiled at Harry trying to disguise their fears. She knew Harry would miss Ron and Hermione. He was a good few inches taller than her, despite being short for a boy, so had to look down to return gesture.

"Yeah...but I remember when me and Hermione freed Sirius only a second passed since we left. I don't know how long it's going to take to find the horcruxs" He said the last part in a hushed voice because they finally reached the open doors of the Great Hall.

Dumbledore turned around and told them to head off to the Gryffindor Table while he headed up to the staff table. The noise grew louder as they approached, the sorting had finished and everyone was digging into the food hungrily. All the same banners for each house were hanging in mid-air with the four house tables below them as they did in Lileth's time. One clear difference was the students. They had a nostalgic look to them; there was an obvious fashion alteration as the girls and boys dressed slightly differently. The Hogwarts uniform was the same apart from the skirts being a few inches longer than Lileths. She suddenly felt self-conscious.

Harry and Lileth walked up quickly as possible without attracting attention to themselves, towards the Gryffindor table. They fitted in perfectly with their red lined robes and sat down near the end. Lileth thought she saw a few heads look their way but didn't really care, time travel made you hungry like that. Another thing she noticed was how she was one of the very few girls who had their hair down. Many of the girls in 1943 tied up their hair or had it in plait, the few who left it down had short or shoulder length hair. Lileth's hair reached a few inches below her shoulders and was naturally soft with a few curls at the end.

_Note to self, invest in more hair-ties. _

After minutes of eating no one turned to speak to them until Lileth asked Harry to pass the pumpkin juice which she clumsily spilt down her shirt.

"Nice one" Harry strained a sarcastic smile as the people around and finally noticed their unfamiliar faces.

A blonde haired boy who looked rather well built yet skinny at the same time was sat across from them and asked "Have I seen you two somewhere before?"

She grabbed some tissues in an attempt to clean up the mess while Harry took the liberty to answer the question.

"Uhh no...You see we're new students...it's for our last two years of school, we were homeschooled before..." Harry tried to keep a straight convincing face and realised they weren't filled in on life stories.

The boy looked like he didn't believe a word Harry said, an awkward silence took place. Finally after a shrug of the shoulder he decided to trust them, placing out his hand for Harry to shake.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, but I've got to say it's not as amazing as it sounds –well apart from quidditch of course! That's the only thing keeping me here or I wouldn't even have turned up for my last year. I'm George Eakins, captain of Gryffindor team." He grinned in a proud fashion at Harry, who ironically was also a quidditch captain.

"What position do you play? I'm a seeker –for a local team near my town." Harry looked enthusiastically at George, feeling a sudden familiarisation with the boy due to their passion for the sport.

"I'm a chaser, and really? We could use a new seeker, well ever since Hobson left Gryffindors never been the same. Tryouts begin in a couple of weeks; I'll let you know... I never quite caught your name?"

"Harry Potter." It felt strange to even Lileth how no one gawked at his name or scar like they did back in the present. The boy who lived didn't seem to mind so began conversing with the blonde about the sport and all sorts of tactics. _Some things never change_. Lileth also played the chaser position, but reluctantly. Ever since a group of ditzy girls showed up for Harry's tryouts he begged her to have a go. She was good_, but not brilliant_ and it was either her or the bimbos who didn't know which way round the broom was. As the school year progressed along with her irritating dreams she ceased to appear for sessions more frequently, which if anything frustrated Harry even more than losing to Hufflepuff. Quidditch was all well and fun, but they had a greater meaning behind their mission –horcruxs.

Looking around the hall she noticed the Slytherin table behind her by the banner hanging above their table. _Riddle had to be here somewhere_. Lileth scanned the long rows of students trying to spot one in particular. The image of his face was still fresh in her mind; nevertheless spotting the boy in real life would be entirely different. The table was packed full with some students moving around to get up to say hello to their friends they hadn't spoken to all summer long, and others who remained eating dessert which had magically appeared. Squinting with her back now fully turned towards the Gryffindor table, facing the Slytherins, she mentally crossed off people's faces in search. Riddle had black hair, brown eyes and was meant to be quite a catch, according to Dumbledore. Instantly her head came to a halt near the middle of the table, there was a large group of sixth years (or seventh) surrounding just what she was looking for... Obviously -he_ was_ the most popular guy in the school.

Lileth openly stared at him for a moment and could still hear Harry and George going on about quidditch in the background. Riddle had a handsome face that looked as if it was carved from stone, with prominent cheekbones, pale skin which contrasted with his dark hair that made him stand out amongst the sea of common people. The students around him animatedly spoke to one another, while Riddle remained silent, staring at his plate then around a few times. Once or twice he whispered something in the ear of the boy sat next to him who nodded, but then went back to quiet observation. For a split second he felt eyes on him then looked in Lileth's direction.

They held no expression, not even unease at the girl openly staring at him. He held her gaze evenly until breaking away and turning back to his companions to join in the conversation as if he had been listening all along. It took Lileth a few seconds to register what had happened. For a moment she felt she was dreaming again with Riddle giving her the blank stare so often seen followed by a blurry horcrux waving through the air almost teasingly, making her want to see a clearer image. The noise of the hall flooded back into her ears dissolving the trance.

"And I keep telling them –pass the quaffle! But they just forget it all during a match." George did a passing motion with his hand looking clearly annoyed.

Harry nodded but frowned when Lileth turned to face them once more.

"What's up with you?" He looked at her untouched jelly which appeared during her little search.

"Nothing, just looking for the snake." Lileth replied quickly noticing how George finally registered she was there.

"Hello, you must have been home schooled too, I'm George Eakins" He said

Lileth already knew this, nevertheless didn't want to come off as rude so smiled at him instead.

"Hi, Lileth Smith...I guess you like quidditch?" She added –how couldn't she when that was all he spoke about ever since they arrived.

"Yeah, sorry I get a little carried away. Potter's into it too, looking forward to seeing him on the pitch." He nodded at Harry, already sounding possessed by the captain-syndrome Oliver Wood went through.

Groups of student were getting up to head off to their common rooms. Religiously, the first years followed the prefects who had a hard time trying to speak over loud voices chattering throughout the Hall.

"Good morning to you too, Eakins!" A boy slapped a hand on George's back who looked behind him to find his friend grinning.

"Fletcher! Where have you been?"

More students filed out of the hall as the two spoke about their holidays and mentioned something about throwing stink bombs into the Slytherin compartments on the train.

"Who's your new friends?" The boy's gaze shifted.

"This is Harry and Lileth, new students joining our year. Listen, Harry might try out for seeker, we might just win this time." George looked at Harry with a sort of longing.

_Okay,_ _this guy could pass off as possessed. _

Fletcher smiled politely at them; he had dark brown hair along with a slight tan from his holiday. Lileth thought he looked slightly similar to Neville but without the round face.

"Hey, I'm Tobias Fletcher. If you ever need the password for the prefect's bathroom then just ask me –that's all I'm useful for." He rolled his eyes at George sarcastically sharing a private joke.

"That was only once!" Eakins shot back in defence.

Lileth had to admit, the two made quite a pair, it was amusing watching them argue childishly almost reminding her of the Weasley twins. Harry joined her and also stood up stretching then lowered his voice for her ears only.

"Did you see Riddle?"

Lileth could hear the strain in Harry's voice; this was going to be hard for him.

"Yeah, I saw him sat on the Slytherin table surrounded by his posse. He saw me too."

"He saw you? Did he do anything...weird? I mean, did he...recognise you?" They were walking towards the doors now so his voice lowered even more with the passing students.

Lileth hesitated before answering.

_Did Tom Riddle know her? If so, he hardly acted like it._

"I think I know what you mean. If he was in my dreams there's a chance he'd know who I was...kind-of. But, when he did see me he just stared back for a minute then acted like nothing happened." She frowned at her words. Was there a way for him to know her? They only went back in time but the look he gave her was...familiar. Maybe it was just because she'd seen him in her dreams so often or he just gave everyone that blank, bored look.

Harry nodded slowly trying to make sense of it all, dreams held very misleading meanings.

"It's better if he doesn't know who we are. I doubt he does, we travelled back in time so it's impossible anyway." He looked at her in order to reassure himself. The plan would be pretty useless if Riddle knew what they were here for.

"Yeah, I think we're just being paranoid." Lileth smiled at him shaking off the doubts.

They were halfway up the stone steps leading to the Gryffindor tower, when stopped by a girl who displayed a shiny prefect badge on her Slytherin robes.

"Are you Mr Potter and Miss Smith by any chance?" Hera accent was almost aristocratic. Lileth noticed how the whole question sounded so formal even for a student.

"Yes, that's us" She smiled at the girl trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work, instead her lips thinned into a very fine line resembling Professor Mcgonagall when she disapproved of anything.

"The Headmaster wishes to see you" With that she trotted off and only when Harry and Lileth began making their own way, noticed they were meant to follow her despite already knowing where the office was.

Perhaps it was because the girl was a Slytherin she blatantly disapproved of their presence, sticking her nose in the air whenever she looked behind at the two. Lileth hoped it was just an odd encounter because if other students of Slytherin house were just as openly prejudiced, their mission would become much more difficult.


	3. First Impressions

Hope you enjoy this chapter, Lileth and Tom will finally, exchange words! Well, trying to talk to Tom Riddle is not the easiest thing but you'll just have to see. More background into Lileth's character and interaction with others in the past. I'd like to thank **literaturefreak6** for reviewing and I'd like to point out now, Harry might/will meet relatives as the chapters progress. Also big shout out to **literaturefreak6** (again!), **Shadow-Schemer1991** and **ruan-san **for adding this story to their favorites/alert ! :) enjoy and let me know what you think? Especially about how I've displayed Tom's character, if you like it or what could be improved...? :)

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><p><strong>First Impressions<strong>

"_GRYFINDOR!"_

The sorting hat bellowed above Harry's head. It wasn't surprising for either of them, just seconds after landing on the black hairs the decision was made. Quite opposite to the long wait Harry had with sorting in his first year.

"Ah, Gryffindor! I am very pleased to officially welcome you to my house Mr. Potter" Dumbledore exclaimed his joy then picked up the dusty hat.

Armando Dippet smiled at the newly sorted boy. At first he was slightly surprised by Dumbledore's news of the two latest instalments to Hogwarts, it was a rare occasion to have students joining so late. However, he was a kind man, after listening to the Transfiguration teacher explain of their ill circumstances at home, how they were home-schooled and swapped at birth in the hospitals for muggle families which led to them never receiving letters to Hogwarts, he softened allowing them to join the year.

"Thank you very much sir, our parents would be so proud of us if they knew we were attending Hogwarts. Sadly, I doubt they would know." Lileth managed a teary-eyed smile in the Headmaster's direction, hoping she wasn't milking it by now.

"Oh but my dear! It is all but a pleasure for you to be joining us!" Dippet smiled warmly at her, if anyone deserved an education in his eyes, it would be Miss Smith and Mr Potter.

Harry stepped off the stool placed in the corner of the Headmaster's office and joined her, secretly giving a mischievous smile as to how well the cooked-up story was working.

"Miss Smith, I believe it is your turn to be sorted" Dumbledore waited for her to sit down on the wooden stool before placing the hat onto her head.

"_Brave, is what comes to mind._

_Very brave and willing to assist those closest to you._

_However, I see something else..._

_A passion to prove yourself? Hmmm_

_Actually, due to recent circumstances you appear to have a cunning side."_

It was true, Lileth thought as she agreed with the hat, she had become cunning. Not in a sense to trick people but because of the mission she had to fulfil. Discovering the horcruxs would be no easy task, and would inevitably require interaction with Riddle. It pained her to think it but maybe being in Gryffindor this time around wouldn't be so useful...

"_Having second thoughts are we?_

_Well if you think it will be of use –_

_SLYTHERIN!"_

The word sounded so foreign, like she didn't belong. Lileth had been a proud Gryffindor all her years, for a second she felt as if she betrayed some sort of unspoken contract but remembered how valuable the house would be. It was only a temporary state anyway; it wasn't like she was pleased to be in Slytherin. The look on Harry's face was utter shock but then it slowly formed into a frown.

"Well, unfortunately I won't have the privilege of being the head of your house, but I'm certain Professor Slughorn will be pleased." Dumbledore smiled, with a wave of his wand Lileth's red lined robes turned bottle green.

"I wasn't really expecting Slytherin but I'm sure it's a lovely house." She smiled sweetly, mainly to keep up the act in front of Dippet. Harry and Dumbledore had knowing looks, being well aware she chose the house deliberately for the task.

"Very Good, now I insist you head up to your common rooms, it is well past eleven now and classes for the new year begin tomorrow. Your timetables will arrive at breakfast; I do hope you enjoy your final two years at Hogwarts." The headmaster felt a warmth when he spoke to the two, the children were so humble yet endured a twisted fate.

"Once again, thank you sir." Lileth turned to leave; sleep was what she needed now.

"Good-night, sir" Harry said and followed out the door.

They both descended down the spiralling staircase which appeared to be the same they ascended earlier that day. Waiting until they walked past the gargoyle out into the hallway, Harry spoke.

"You did it on purpose didn't you" He hesitated for her answer, whilst trying to keep a blank look.

"Yes, the closer to Riddle the faster we can crack on. It would be useful to keep an eye on him from inside the house" Lileth seemed determined she made the right choice.

"That may be true but now we're split up...I'm just saying be careful, being a Slytherins not as easy as it looks." He sighed, the task was complicated and if anyone discovered their true identities it would instantly shatter to pieces.

"Don't worry -how much worse could these Slytherins be compared to Malfoy and his apes for friends, Crabbe and Golye?" She threw her hands into the air in exasperation remembering the three attempting to poison Neville's toad in their first year. Lileth managed to knock the potion out of Malfoy's grip seconds before he was about to pour it into the poor toad's mouth. She was so angry at how he treated everyone worse than how some wizards treated their own house-elves! Not knowing many hexes at the time, but basically being too annoyed to care, she punched him square in the face. A loud _crunch _was heard; earning her a whole month's worth of detention with Snape, now looking back at her actions–it was definitely worth it.

"I really wish I had my invisibility cloak or Marauders Map right now" Harry stopped her little trip down memory lane, coming to a halt at the top of the rotating staircase.

"And I wish I knew the way to the Slytherin common room but you really can't be picky with just three minutes." Throughout her years at Hogwarts she had no clue where it was, in the dungeons yes, but after that there were many corridors and passageways that could lead you anywhere.

"I only went down there in my second year with Ron, but we followed Malfoy." He shrugged apologetically.

Before Lileth could ask why they were following the git, a male voice cut in.

"May I inquire as to why students are out of bed?"

It was a sharp yet calm request. His tone was even, each word was spoken with clarity. Of course she knew it was him, who else would fate have thrown in at that exact moment for amusement? It was too soon, she didn't have a thought out plan and unfortunately first impressions left lasting memories. Make or break time.

Spinning around on one foot before Harry even had a chance to register the stranger, Lileth took the opportunity to say something reasonable in-case Harry had a nervous break down and decided to battle royal with Riddle's wand.

"Hello, we're new students, sixth years. I'm afraid I don't know where the Slytherin common room is." She asked him politely with a straight face, not wanting to come off as too pleasant.

Harry's jaw stiffened along with his whole body, the look on his face was almost murderous until Lileth quickly nudged his side roughly.

"Ow!" He hissed rubbing the spot where she made contact.

Throughout, her eyes never left Riddle's face, she noticed how a flash of displeasure made its way then was quickly replaced by disinterest.

"New students? Really, well then I must take it upon myself to show you to the common room." His tone was flat, almost bored and didn't hold any sincerity.

It was probably the facade he displayed to everyone, Lileth thought. Harry also seemed to stop and actually look at Tom Riddle properly for the first time, not a memory but the real thing. He was tall, skinny yet didn't appear lanky as many teenage boys did (well apart from Harry). One hand was casually within his robe pocket, presumably holding his wand, while the loosely hung on his side. A bright prefect badge could be seen on the left side of his chest similar to the Slytherin girl's who they met before. His face held no emotion what so ever apart from nonchalance which made him difficult to read.

"Thank you..." Lileth spoke slowly; it felt unnatural to say those words to the future Dark Lord.

"Follow me if you please." With a final glance at them he walked down the steps swiftly not even bothering to look back to confirm his request.

Lileth noticed it was her cue to leave, doubting he would wait for her. Looking back at Harry once more she saw him frowning at the spot where Riddle previously stood.

"I've got to go Harry, I'll see you tomorrow." She spoke hurriedly, about to follow after the prefect.

"Be careful, he's dangerous-"

"I know, but I doubt he'll murder me at school." She smiled weakly towards the boy and with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder; she bounded down the steps after Riddle while Harry left for the Gryffindor Tower.

When she reached the bottom of the steps the Slytherin was no were to be seen. However, after remaining for a moment she heard swift footsteps to her left, Riddle was walking on deeper into the dim corridor. Lileth had to run to catch up because the boy would not stop even for a second, not even caring if she followed. His speed was constant; the gait he held was stiff similar to the formality the previous Slytherin girl had. The Gryffindor's she met were easy going enough, why was this house so different? The modern day Slytherins were slightly upper class but they still acted like any other teenagers. It was probably down to the fact the year was 1943; these Slytherins had to be considerably more uptight. Lileth would surely stick out like a sore thumb in the house.

"Wait up!" She huffed after him almost knocking over the suit of armour in process.

Surprisingly he complied, although never turning around to face her. Her pace slowed down as she neared him, stopping just a bit behind waiting for him to continue. Feeling the presence of another, Riddle began to walk swiftly once more deeper into the stony corridors. The temperature dropped significantly, they were nearing the dungeons. Lileth glanced up at the boy who was several inches taller, his face, unsurprisingly was blank. Would she need to become friends with him to discover the horcruxs? Probably yes, but the plan would still work if they were only acquainted.

"I never caught your name?" Lileth tried to make conversation knowing full well his name.

Glancing at her for the first time, he paced forward again. She thought he wasn't going to answer for a moment until he replied-

"Tom Riddle."

The name was spoken with smoothness, although Lileth knew he hated it. She waited for him to question back or even take an interest in her presence, but none came. Still as stone, he continued onward through the dark corridors, only their footsteps providing any noise. Tom Riddle was going to be difficult. This was difficult. Awkward silence flooded in as she wondered where the bloody common room was. Dumbledore had warned her of his unresponsive behaviour, she knew what she signed up for. Extra effort had to be made.

"Nice name. I'm Lileth Smith" This time she even threw in a smile.

Her eye's shifted from his face towards the wall now in front of them. For a second fear flooded in her –had Voldemort just led her into a dead end? Riddle stopped walking abruptly but Lileth continued, taking in the surroundings, which led her to bump right into him.

"Umph!" His back was solid as any brick wall, she stumbled back a few steps regaining balance.

Riddle didn't seem to take much notice, turning around to face her, he pointed at the wall with his free hand.

"This is the barrier that leads to the Slytherin common room, the password is _Pure Blood_. Goodnight Miss Smith."

With that he strode off into the opposite direction, probably to finish off his patrol. For a moment she became suspicious of his detached behaviour, maybe following him wouldn't be a bad idea? The thought frizzled out as soon as it erupted. It was late and there was a large chance she would get lost not knowing her way back to the common room. This was only the first encounter; there'd be loads of time to bond...well maybe not. Tom Riddle was not going to be an easy person to pursue. Shoving the thoughts to the back of her head, all she wanted right now was to sleep in a warm panned bed, even if it was in the Slytherin dormitories.

"Pure Blood."

The wall flashed green, one by one the bricks moved to the side revealing a passage. Lileth walked into the common room, it was a low-ceilinged, dungeon-like room. The area was lit with greenish lamps but the room extended partway under the lake, adding to the green tinge. It all had quite a grand atmosphere, but also quite a cold one. Only a few students remained sat around the single fireplace, speaking in hushed voices. As soon as Lileth emerged they all turned to look, instantly falling silent. The awkwardness with Riddle was nothing compared to this.

"Err...Would someone tell me where the girl's dormitories are...I'm new" She added a bit lamely at the end knowing she'd look like an idiot of a Slytherin if she didn't know where the dormitories were being a sixth year.

They all continued staring at her, almost like replicas of Riddle's blank stare_. Maybe it was a thing in this house..._ Until one of them stood up from their curled up position on the green couch. A girl with a pale complexion looked puzzled but spoke nonetheless.

"New student? We hardly have those." She looked around at her friends who agreed and turned to stare at Lileth as if she was an ogre hiding under the disguise of a girl. It was hard keeping a straight face when four other pokers ogled right back at you.

"I know, I've heard. Could you tell me where the girl's dormitories are?" She pressed on again really wanting to disappear under the bed sheets.

"Oh –right. The door to your left...What year are you in?" She pale girl asked catching Lileth by surprise. It was quite a shock to realise not all Slytherins were unresponsive twits like Riddle.

"Sixth, and you?" She smiled at the girl who was about to be the first person she was close to holding a decent conversation with, except for George (but he did most of the talking anyway.)

"Sixth as well, our year's dormitories are on the third floor. Maybe we'll have some classes together." She smiled back making Lileth want to jump in the air for discovering she had at least one friend in Slytherin, well soon enough.

"Thanks, I hope so" With that she bid goodnight and walked into the door on the left. It had been a long day, she had to sleep it off...maybe she'd even wake up to find out it was all a dream. Everything felt surreal; it was all happening so fast, since being in Dumbledore's office to walking into the Slytherin common room. She wondered how Harry was doing, probably asleep already in his room with newly made friends, Gryffindors were much easier to communicate with. Thankfully, when she stepped into her room all the girls were asleep so she didn't have to go through the 'new student...Lileth Smith...goodnight' again. An empty four poster bed with green sheets was waiting for her next to the window, as she came closer she realised her trunk was also on the floor. Normally, she'd change into her pyjamas but sleep overtook quickly. She fell straight into bed -out like a light, into dreamless sleep.


	4. Morning Gossip

Woop woop. More characters! I know I haven't updated in a while because fanfiction wouldn't let me upload the document yesturday but heres another chapter I already have it written out. I'm half way through the next one and I've kinda gotten a bit ...loose? Lazy? Whatever you want to call it -so motivate me to write more if you want that chapter! Comments and subscriptions might help ;) x Thank you for reading

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><p><strong>Morning Gossip<strong>

"Who is she?"

"Goodness! She's asleep in her robes!-"

"Her hairs a bit too long...she should cut it-"

"I think she's the new student Amelia was talking about!"

Noise from every direction poured into Lileth's ears, getting louder with each passing second as the brunette gained consciousness. The tittering and humming of young female voices flooded in, causing the sleepy girl to groan in annoyance. The last thing she remembered was being sorted into Slytherin, saying bye to Harry, meeting Tom Riddle, entering the common room and...Meeting Tom Riddle?

She shot straight up, eyes wide awake staring at the scene displayed before her bed. Four young girls around her age were staring wide-eyed at her appearance, as if she spontaneously grew an extra head. Almost minute passed, as no-one dared to break the silence. Not the best way to start the day, Lileth thought, trying to remember how to speak again. Normally, anyone- someone! Would have said something by now? But the girls stared in disbelief not uttering a word.

"Can I help you?" Lileth was slightly ticked off at how slowly everyone was reacting.

The Slytherins blinked before returning to reality, a short, freckled girl was the first to respond.

"You're the new girl aren't you?" She took a step back as if Lileth's bed was contaminated. The others followed, in a perfect semi- circle, she felt like a caged animal surrounded by spectators.

Clearing her throat to check her voice didn't give way, Lileth sat up on her warm bed rubbing her eyes as light poured in from the open window. The Slytherins watched her every move like hawks, ready to strike their prey.

"Yes, that's me...you can stop staring now." It was surreal how hesitant they were to approach her.

One of the girl's rolled her eyes at the others and walked into the bathroom shutting the door with a loud bang. The others remained, looking at each other, sending silent messages along with their eyes. Once they had a reached a conclusion, the short, freckled girl spoke again.

"Sorry about that, we've never seen you before...and you were just sleeping there and we didn't know who it was...we don't get new students often."

The amount of times Lileth had heard that statement in the past twenty-four hours...

If these 'girls' –if that's even what you could call them –dumb trolls seemed more appropriate, were going to be her dorm mates for the rest of the year, Lileth had to get along with them. She couldn't deal with female fights on this mission, especially after having her full share of them back at home. Lavender Brown wasn't the best when it came to lying, Lileth had caught her twice 'borrowing' her clothes for Hogsmeade –she even 'borrowed' her dress to wear at the Slughorn party, which lead to a tussle lasting till dawn. Sighing, she plastered on a smile.

"I've heard. Hi, I'm Lileth Smith by the way" She stood up revealing the crinkled Slytherin robes and uniform –nothing a quick ironing spell couldn't fix.

They all took to staring at her once more, mentally judging before returning to Lileth's forced smile.

"Hello, I'm Georgina Waters...and this is Jessica Melrose-" She gestured at the girl to her left-"...and that's Francis Valery." She pointed at the tall girl stood next to Jessica.

Lileth nodded, forgetting the names as soon as they were said, apart from Georgina Waters who was the short freckled girl. Each of the girl's mumbled 'Hi's' or 'Hellos', before turning back to their beds and trunks. It was becoming a symbol for Slytherins to be uncommunicative, almost shy? This wouldn't be so difficult in a sense. If they kept their distance from Lileth the better, no one would get a wind of the mission. Stretching, she fixed up her attire, once again feeling self-conscious as the other girls pulled out their below knee-length skirts. Lileth's wasn't revealing, it was just different to everyone else's which would lead to notice and notice would lead to attention, unwanted attention.

Suddenly, the door that led towards the bathroom opened, revealing the prettiest girl Lileth had ever seen. The once moody, door-slamming female emerged forth looking radiant. Her dark hair was loosely tied in a French plait and her uniform almost sparkled. The only let down was her expression; it was scowling, as if an invisible giant cloud of gloom hung over her beautiful appearance. Lileth remained gawking in an unattractive manner, a hand subconsciously attempted to flatten her wild bed head. The other girls in the room also turned to stare; perhaps it was an unusual sight to even them. As soon as the she emerged from the bathroom, seconds later she left, with the same moody gesture of banging the dormitory door. Despite the beauty, Lileth sensed a grim aura about the girl; she had to be upset about something.

"Who was that?" Lileth asked no one in particular picking up her shoes from under the bed. When she returned to the rest of the room, the tall girl who she vaguely remembered being called Francis answered.

"That was Sabrina Lestrange, ignore her, a bit of a drama queen if you ask me."

"Francis! I would be upset as well if that happened to me." Georgina cried as Francis rolled her eyes.

"Well, did she expect –_him_ –to say yes? She's way out of her league, thought her brother could get in a good word for her." The tall girl resumed to getting dressed in her corner and even Georgina went quiet agreeing with the statement.

Lileth was not one to pry about in other people's business but when she heard the name 'Lestrange', which was practically synonymous to 'Death Eater', she had to ask.

"What happened?" She questioned, trying not to sound too interested at the same time. The girl's exchanged looks, before grudgingly deciding they could let her in on the gossip. Francis sat on her bed pulling on her shoes similar to Lileth before beginning.

"Well Sabrina's liked him for ages –well not really, only the last few years. No one really knew him that well in the first year but after that, all the girl's practically drool over him. Even us three-" She nodded shamelessly at the other two girls who also sat on their own beds listening attentively. –"But none of us are stupid enough to show it. Well, Sabrina got a bit ahead of herself last year, learnt a few anti-pimple spells, the hair tricks, like most witches do once boys start noticing them. Thought she could woo him as well, we all told her not to obviously. Partly because of the rejection and embarrassment, and partly because there might be a slight chance he'd say yes to her-"

"Who? Who's this –he?" Lileth grew impatient and didn't fail to notice how Francis never spoke the boy's name. So Sabrina faced a little rejection, the story wasn't really that interesting but she felt it was a step towards 'friendship' between the girls.

"Tom Riddle -you probably don't know him right now being new but-"

"Tom Riddle?" The mere thought of it was hilarious! Never did she imagine the Dark lord being a lady killer in his school days (no pun intended). A laugh managed to escape from her lips, which she vainly tried to cover up as a cough, failing miserably. The other girls observed her once again, squinting at her odd behaviour.

"How do you know Tom Riddle?" Georgina spoke up, surveying Lileth closely.

"Uh...I don't... It just sounds like a funny name, Tom Riddle...?" She awkwardly tried to hide her knowledge of the boy. It seemed successful because Francis continued once more.

"Well anyway, she asked him to the senior dance –it takes place every two years for sixth and seventh years before they leave school. Who in their right mind would ask Tom Riddle, let alone to the senior dance?-That's like practically proposing to someone if you're a Slytherin. "

Senior dance? That was new; the only dance she attended at Hogwarts was the Yule Ball, not being 'special' enough to be a member of the Slug Club.

"What did he say?"

The girls seemed to find Lileth's comment amusing because each of them let out a dry laugh in response.

"No, obviously, but she was too above herself at the time to even think it. Just because her brother was Dominic Lestrange –a good friend of Riddle's doesn't mean he would say yes. I wasn't there at the time but I heard from Amelia, who was told by Malfoy that Sabrina walked right into their compartment, on the Hogwarts express, on the way home for the summer last year and asked him. I don't know what spell possessed her to do such a thing but everyone in Slytherin found out over the holidays. That's why she's in such a strop and trying even harder to look pretty to show she isn't fazed by Riddle's answer –but everyone knows the story anyway. I heard people could hear her crying through the carriages all the way to the toilets" Francis ended the story on a low note but no sign of sympathy appeared on her features.

Lileth took in the words, for some reason, despite Sabrina not showing an ounce of care for her presence, she felt slightly sorry for the girl. It was intimidating enough being alone with Riddle for ten minutes last night; people weren't going to forget this -their gossiping right now proved so. Everyone went quiet for a moment until they remembered they had to be down in the Hall for breakfast. There was a sudden rush to get into the bathroom but one by one the girls managed. The time on the wooden clock in the corner of the room read 8:30, lessons began at nine.

"Oh no! We need to get our new timetables as well!" Georgina muttered angrily fussing over her hair.

Lileth had no time to tie hers; in fact she didn't even own hair ties. Dumbledore could have placed some in the bottom of her trunk but there was no time to investigate. Grabbing her wand from the bedside table, she dashed out of the dormitory into the Slytherin common room. It was minutely brighter, as a few morning rays reached from under the black lake and shone through the common room roof. There were plenty more students compared to last night, but many were leaving. Since she didn't pay much attention to the directions Riddle hazed her through, she decided to follow the large crowds moving out. Lileth couldn't help but feel happy, she was quite hungry and needed breakfast –also, she would finally see the familiar face of Harry Potter again.

She continued, discretely following a group of third years until spotting a recognizable staircase that led towards the Great Hall. Now students from the other three houses were present, it honestly felt refreshing to see faces that did not belong to Slytherin. For a moment Hogwarts appeared the same to Lileth, before the time travel. People were manoeuvring in and out of each others way, a fresh smell of toast lingered in the air and there was a general buzz in the atmosphere, being the first day of term back. She stepped into the Great Hall once reaching the bottom of the staircase and instantly began looking for Harry. The normal thing would have been to sit at the Slytherin table and begin mingling but that could pass for later. It wasn't difficult to spot Harry; the sound of George's chortling laughter filled the Hall, causing heads to turn, including Lileth's. Next to him the raven-haired boy was digging into some eggs looking exhausted. His hair was sticking out in several directions, a small frown of concentration plastered on his face. Lileth slowly walked up behind him, little did he know, she was about to pounce.

"Ow!" An electric jump ran through his body as she abruptly grabbed onto his shoulders

"Good morning" She sounded cheerful in a sing-song voice.

"You really need to stop doing that." He glared at her as she sat down next to him, grabbing a piece of toast. It was always her favourite method of greeting him in the mornings, worked every time. His expression softened when he spotted the green robes.

"Did Riddle take you to the common room?" He whispered looking around before returning back to Lileth.

"Yes he did, I don't like Slytherin much, everyone's really...reserved." She ended remembering that it would have been so much easier to feel at home with Gryffindors. Even if she was only here temporarily, she felt almost lonely without Harry around. Right now she was perfectly comfortable munching on her toast while he poked about with his egg next to her. She missed her best friend.

"I told it would be hard. Don't worry; we'll have a few lessons together today." He said, reading her thoughts accurately.

"I hope so, I've hardly tried making any friends yet, everyone I've met so far is either too shy or uninterested." She spoke, thinking about how everyone already had their own group of friends and how she, Lileth Smith would not fit in as much as she tried. Her dorm mates were okay for a little gossip, but not friend material.

"Oh by the way, this is the Gryffindor table" Harry joked, adding to her misery.

"I know, but I wouldn't dare sit over there...no ones even noticed I'm a Slytherin-"

At that exact moment, George's attention returned to Harry's side after a long animated discussion with the boy she recognised as Tobias Fletcher. He grinned at Lileth but stopped as soon as he noticed the-

"Your robes! They're green? I'm sure you were in Gryffindor yesterday!" He protested staring in disbelief at the girl in front of him.

"Yeah I know, I got resorted into Slytherin, hope you don't mind. I'm still a Gryffindor in here." She pointed towards her heart, smiling reassuringly.

"Hmm, resorted? Okay, if you say so –but don't expect me or Harry to let you in on any Quidditch secrets" He smiled playfully, but Lileth figured it wouldn't be surprising for him to say something like that, maybe he was absolutely serious.

"Don't worry I'm not interested in quidditch...anymore." She said the last part more to herself and returned to her toast. After a few more slices she began to feel full, only toast was an acceptable breakfast in her eyes, she hated eggs, sausages or anything else heavy in the mornings. A few more minutes passed, the Hall was now complete with each and every student. The staff table was also full; it was the prime time for everyone to be present. Lileth smiled at Dumbledore who was speaking to a much younger Horace Slughorn, she couldn't help it –the two looked so energized. Around her Harry, George and Tobias spoke every now and then, but mainly George.

It suddenly dawned on her, something she never realized before. Lileth enjoyed the company of boys more than girls. Not in a floozy sense, but in friendship. They were so much easier to get along with; she herself did not have a very feminine personality. Even before time travel her friends mainly consisted of Harry, Neville, Dean, Ron, Seamus and the Weasley twins. Every now and then she was on speaking terms with Hermione and Parvati Patil (who was extremely nice when Lavender wasn't around). No wonder she couldn't connect with her Slytherin dorm mates -the feminist of females.

Suddenly a new buzz entered the Hall, students were exchanging parchment and loudly talking to one another. It became evident to Lileth, timetables were being handed out. Prefects from each house swam through the ocean of pupils trying to reach the name they had.

"Say, Tobias. You're a prefect aren't you...shouldn't you be giving out timetables as well?" George feigned innocence at the boy concealing a grin.

Dropping the spoon about to fill his mouth with cereal, Tobias abruptly stood upright reaching for his bag which looked heavy, full of timetables.

"I forgot, Dumbledore's going to kill me..." He muttered reaching a handful out of his bag and rummaging through the names. Finally he stopped at Harry's and George's handing them over before running off to the other end of the table in panic.

"Think I distracted him a bit with my yapping." George absentmindedly sighed in satisfaction before grimacing at his timetable.

Harry also left his eggs to see the subjects he would be taking; Lileth peered over his shoulder at the same time, reading.

"Oh look, you've got potions with Slytherins first thing in the morning, we can head off together" Lileth smiled happily; at least they did have some lessons together. Harry on the other hand didn't look too pleased as he was reading further ahead into the day.

"Ancient Runes? Something's wrong with this." He felt the fun of the day stop right at one o'clock when he'd have double Runes.

"Ha-ha, have fun with that. I still need to get my timetable; I doubt the prefects will look for me here." She gestured across the Gryffindor table ready to take her leave while Harry continued to frown more and more at his puzzling subjects. Looking over at the Slytherin table from were she stood was not appealing. The other house tables looked like fun with laughter and chattering, while the Slytherins just sat there, too mature to exclaim out loud or playfully fling food at their neighbours. Many of them were probably raised that way, in uptight, aristocratic pure-blooded families. Well, apart from Riddle who grew up in an orphanage but seemed to be the most introvert of them all. Speaking of the snake, she hadn't seen him since last night.

Luckily (or unluckily, depends how you saw it), he wasn't exactly hard to miss. Groups of fifth and fourth years surrounded him as he skilfully handed out timetables, highly contrasting to Tobias's unorganised surprise. The other Slytherin prefect, the girl who told Harry and Lileth to go to the Head's office was also close by, carrying many parchments, looking rather flushed. The timetables kept dropping and slipping out of her hands as many younger students fussed around her, much to Lileth's amusement, she began huffing at the chaotic situation. Riddle on the other hand, looked calm, almost fed up by the activity, _how suspenseful,_ she thought.

Lileth had to get her timetable; it was either frazzled prefect girl who didn't know what she was doing –or Riddle who was working at top speed. Opting for the Dark Lord on this occasion only, she began pacing towards him, his profile clearly visible as a gap formed between the people surrounding him. She had to be 'acquainted' anyway, so why not start now? Lileth walked slowly, trying to think of ways to start a conversation until she noticed something strange.

Riddle had stopped handing out timetables. For a moment she decided to turn back before looking like a fool for walking up to him for no apparent reason. Then what he did next shocked her, more than a little. His surrounded profile she thinly saw had turned so now he was facing her direction. He began taking steps forward, just as she was. Before realising what he was looking at, Lileth also took steps forward in his direction. The two drew closer until it became apparent; Riddle was walking towards –her. His eyes we're trained on her face, with rigid purpose, his feet moving closer. Lileth had stopped by now almost looking fearful.

Shit. Did he know about the mission? They were screwed...-She knew their homeless story had too many loopholes! Now he knows and he's gonna-

"The Slytherin table is this way, Miss Smith."

-he's going to hand me my timetable...like a normal person.


	5. A Brewing Edge

Heey, sorry I haven't updated in a while but my silly sibling took hold of my computer and did God knows what to it. But anyway I have updated as promised and I just wanna thank all my reviewers **-GettOffYourLow, literaturefreak6 and Luniousa 07** you guys are awesome! I was really stuck on this chapter but by the end kind of enjoyed writing it. I hope you like it, it's a bit different and reveals more about people/Hogwarts/plot in general -not blatantly but little hints...if you know what I mean -but anyway! I hope you enjoy it and please review :)

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><p><strong>A Brewing Edge <strong>

"I don't know, every time he gets close enough I panic...I don't know why –maybe because of the mission or..." Lileth rambled on in a hushed tone next to Harry as Slughorn bounded around the room with young energy.

After Lileth managed to get her timetable, she and Harry both set off for their first lesson, potions. They succeeded to get in early before most of the class had arrived, so naturally opted for seats at the back of the room. Here they could clearly see the rest of the students dawdle in and notice a clear segregation of Gryffindors and Slytherins. The reds sat on the right end of the stony dungeon near the door, whilst the greens assembled deeper within the room closer to Slughorn's desk. Lileth and Harry seemed to be the only two contrasting colours sat next to each other, which earned them uneasy glances from the rows in front.

"He doesn't know about the mission, I know its weird talking to someone we've been staring at in a memory for the past few months. But he can't know, it's impossible so stop worrying and act normal." Harry earnestly replied trying to persuade her Riddle was not on their case.

Lileth nervously tapped her fingers lightly on the wooden desk they shared; on it was her potions textbook she conveniently found in her trunk, thanks to Dumbledore. Harry still had no trunk, so he had to share with her for now. Lileth's mind was elsewhere; too deep to pay attention to Harry's words or Slughorn's banter which consisted of greeting specific students.

Something about Tom Riddle made her sick. Not in a revolting sense, but nauseous, like a creeping dread. His face was so nostalgic; it felt like she was being sucked into one of her dreams every time they came close. It only occurred when he looked straight at her; the image brought a sense of déjà vu. When he showed her to the common room, Riddle never looked straight at her until the end. But in the Hall this morning, Lileth almost felt the need to pinch herself awake. Her mind would go blank in...fear? No, not fear but something else. Like an insidious dread...as if something bad, something wrong was going to creep up and slowly devour her.

"Ah, Tom my boy! Simply splendid to see you again!"

Her attention turned towards the front of the class where Slughorn greeted his favourite pupil like an old friend reunited once more. At the door stood Riddle followed by three other Slytherin boys.

"Thank-you sir. Apologies for my lateness, I was handing out student timetables." He spoke with formality addressing the teacher with respect. Slughorn simply beamed while the boys made their way to the vacant seats near the back of the room. Lileth sighed with relief as the seats were at least a row in front of her.

Riddle sat next to the white haired boy who had a Malfoy look about him, while the other two boys sat behind to their right. Below the desk she could discreetly see Harry's hand tense around his wand, loosen, and then grip once more in unease. The class was now full; everyone became quiet waiting for the professor to begin. Lileth's eyes kept glancing between the back of Riddle's head and Harry's tightening grip.

"Welcome back, ever so glad to see you all well and ready for a fascinating year of potions! Yes, this year we will take a look at the most mesmerizing brews and concoctions you will come across during your time at Hogwarts!" He waved his arms open revealing the be-comings of rounded belly covered under his woollen vest robes.

Lileth was glad Slughorn failed to notice two new students in the room; he was probably informed but didn't make bravado out of it. Right now the last thing she wanted to do was stand up in font of the whole class and go through an awkward introduction. Her eyes travelled to Riddle's head once more. He simply sat there, observing the teacher, almost slouching in a casual manner. Indifferent to the others around him who had already begun whispering behind Slughorn's back as he rambled on about the curriculum.

The class was told to turn to page four as the teacher began reading through the contents, she was relived when finding out the 1943 topics were not much different to her modern day potions. That meant she didn't have to concentrate in at least one subject this year. The class erupted into a buzz of murmurs as the pupils complained or exclaimed at the list. Suddenly, the door slammed open ceasing the class into silence. Lileth could only guess who stood.

"Sorry I'm late Professor." A monotonous voice filled the eerie stillness.

Everyone had turned away from their books to gape at the girl who had entered. Slughorn, cut mid-sentence from his theatrics also abruptly paused turning towards the newcomer.

"Oh er...Miss Lestrange. Right, well sit yourself down." He fumbled impatiently turning back towards the class. However, no one took their eyes of the girl or bothered to return to their books. Whispering and muttering followed from some students, while others remained staring.

Sabrina Lestrange obviously noticed this; a sour look was plastered on her features as she kept her head down, moving towards the final remaining seat. Unfortunately, it was next to Malfoy, who was one of the few not bothering to conceal his thoughts ("Too busy dreaming about Riddle, poor girl forgot she had potions") which earned sniggering from many boys around him. Even the Gryffindors had perked up to watch her make her way through the room, the news must have spread to the other houses.

Lileth couldn't help but feel it was a re-enactment of the morning, when Sabrina had slammed the dormitory doors in a foul mood. A part of her felt upset at how she was now the laughing stock of the school, and another felt pity. Sabrina was blessed with good looks but due to one slip up, other boys wouldn't want to be near her. They scorned her and smirked every now and then whispering along with other girls sharing a private joke. Even Harry frowned at the scene, noticing how the room suddenly filled with gossip. As Sabrina sat down next to Malfoy, he edged away closer to Riddle grinning, blatantly whispering something in the other boy's ear. It took all of her will not to run out of the room crying; even her own brother sat behind them looked down at his hands not wanting to be involved.

Slughorn's voice boomed as students turned towards him once more after the awkward disturbance. Lileth couldn't help but steal a glance at Riddle wondering how he was reacting to situation. Surprisingly, he was calm, as if Sabrina had not walked in at all. His attention was always with Slughorn, even if the class became distracted. Lileth expected him to mock or smirk along with his friends, but he didn't. Every now and then his eyes would fall to his desk in thought, and then rise as Slughorn chatted on.

Lileth hoped this gossip wouldn't carry into every lesson she had with the Lestrange girl. A voice inside told her to stick up for her but how could she when they hardly knew each other? The last thing she wanted was to attract attention to herself. Even if it was a petty excuse, she wasn't from this time anyway and had nothing to do with the situation. Her emotions needed to be in check, she couldn't become attached to anything during the mission...speaking of which.

"Harry, I can't talk to Riddle." She whispered, voicing her fears.

He turned slightly, eyes still locked with Slughorn's figure.

"What do you mean 'I can't talk to Riddle'? You have to or we're stuck here." He stated annoyance evident in his tone as he frowned at the teacher.

"I don't know! I just can't –how anyway?... Argh, this is more frustrating than I thought!" She banged a fist on the desk which caused heads to turn, finally noticing the unfamiliar face. The two boys who walked in with Riddle sat in front held quizzing looks as the opposite houses sat together. Slughorn, interrupted once more, stopped pacing and came to halt directly in the middle of the room. He paused to look at Lileth and Harry with a wondrous look as if they had apparated into his lesson while he wasn't aware.

"Oh! New students, yes, I almost forgot! Introduce yourselves please!" He beamed, excited about the whole 'show-and-tell' process. Now the entire class's attention turned towards them, Lileth could practically hear Harry's uneasy gulp. _Great, just the thing I was dreading! _She thought, uncomfortable with all the eyes on her. Even Riddle turned half-way, observing from the corner of his eyes. However, he didn't look remotely interested unlike the others who remained expectant, waiting. For some reason this ticked her off, if he thought he was better than everybody else so be it, she wasn't going to shy away now.

Plastering a smile on her features she stood facing towards the others. She wasn't pissed off because she wanted his attention or for him to stare at her like the rest of the class. She was annoyed because the one person involved in the mission seemed to be the only one who didn't care. _Maybe this'll give him something to think about._

"Hi, I'm Lileth Smith, 16, going on 17. New student sorted into Slytherin, my favourite subjects Charms. And oh, I like snakes" Confidence oozed off her but some of the more detectable students could tell she was being sarcastic with her words, almost irritated. The last part was obviously a lie; Lileth thought she might just throw it in, subliminally mocking the future Dark Lord.

Some continued to stare while a few offered shy smiles thinking she was a little weird but friendly. What she didn't appreciate was the white haired Malfoy lips forming into a sly grin as he shamelessly stared at her up and down during the little speech. Choosing to ignore this, she sneaked a glance at Riddle who actually acknowledged her now, for a moment a slight knowing grin escaped him, but then again, the lighting of the room wasn't fully reliable.

Harry looked nervously at the others noticing the eyes were on him now. Ruffling his scruffy trademark black hair he stood up wondering what to say.

"My names Harry Potter and er...I'm also new...?" He looked awkwardly around until seating himself back down quickly mentally cursing Lileth for setting such high standards to follow. The girl grinned sideways at him; light pink was growing on his cheeks now as the class continued to stare. Despite being the Boy who Lived, Harry was still her best awkward, shy, scrawny friend.

"Ah Marvellous! We have gained two more students; you better make them feel at home! Also, another Slytherin to my collectio- house! Why, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin sat together –take a leaf out of their book you lot! Sitting so far apart...Well class, what a morning but no more disruptions! Let us continue onwards." He clasped his hands together, reading on from where he left off on the contents page.

Lileth deduced they wouldn't be doing any real work in the first lesson back anyway, so there was no point concentrating. The rest of the class had now turned back to the front, Harry let out a sigh slumping his shoulders.

"What was that all about?" He questioned giving you a tired stare.

"What was what about?" There were lots of things he could be referring to.

"I like snakes? I thought you said you couldn't even talk to Riddle but you can come up with that" He smiled boyishly at her sudden change of confidence.

"Hmmm true...I thought about. No need to be shy with people who probably aren't going to remember you. More we get to know others the more we dig deeper into Riddle's plans, no use sitting on the sidelines on a mission like this." Lileth grinned wickedly at the boy wondering if he could hear her thoughts. It was true though, a brilliant opportunity to try something new...something spontaneous.

"So you mean we can basically be who we want since it's only temporary" He caught on fast, contemplating the idea, the new freedom.

"Exactly, it could even be fun, loosen up a little –blow the roof off! It's not every day we go back to 1943."

For a minute Lileth laughed in her mind, thinking of all the aloof possibilities. They could mess around as much as they liked knowing it wouldn't matter in the long run. But then the more mature side took over just as quickly. _I'm not here on holiday, I'm here to find out what the horcruxs are. _

She scowled; the light-hearted moment was ruined, replaced by the image of the boy who seemed to be already treading on her nerves. Tom Riddle oblivious to her glaring let out a soulful sigh before picking up his quill once more to make notes. _She had no idea..._


	6. Fruitless Encounter

Hey duuudes...I know I haven't updated in a while (whats it been a week?, I cant remember) but the important thing is I have now! And cut me some slack, **I 've updated 6 times in a month**, which is alot (well alot from the authors whose stories I read, some of them just do it once a month!) The last one was a little short but I really wanted it to end there, **this ones longer** and hopefully **enjoyable to read** :) I had fun writing it and **yes theres Tom Riddle actions! **Thank you to my dedicated reviewer** literaturefreak6 and everyone else who added this story to their alert/fav :)**

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><p><strong>Fruitless Encounter<strong>

It had been ten minutes. Ten minutes of silent stalking on Lileth's behalf as she crept quietly through the corridors. Why was it taking so long for him to reach his destination? Several times throughout the stalk she felt like turning back, it was a wonder how long she tip-toed behind, unnoticed. His footsteps were soft, any slight noise could send off an alarm. Her pace was beginning to steady, but the tinkering and bumping into armour still left suspicion in the air.

Tom Riddle seemed to be in a hurry, for he did not turn around to check if he was being followed. Lileth was silently grateful for this; she didn't think she'd keep up with his pace if he kept turning around. No one else noticed her presence either, the hallways were empty.

After the potions lesson earlier, she attended all her other classes during the day. Riddle was in most of them, not surprising really, Dumbledore probably checked the records of his 6th year timetable. But it wasn't all that useful; despite having him sat a few desks away from her, Lileth found it impossible to confront him. He was always either surrounded by his posse or deliberately ignoring everyone around him.

The day moved at the slow pace, especially when she discovered she had Runes along with Harry. Now it was his turn to point and laugh. Runes was a different type of lesson...Since only a handful of pupils opted to take it, they mixed the lesson with seventh years. Even then the classroom was half empty. Tobias Fletcher also took the class which was a relief because all the rest of the students were sour-faced Slytherins. Mainly sour-faced-Riddle-posse-Slytherins which included; Riddle (duh), Malfoy (blehh..), Lestrange and Avery. What surprised Lileth was that she was the only girl in the room...well for at least 5 minutes of the lessons. Once again the door slamming Sabrina had entered in a fouler mood than all the other classrooms she'd slammed into that day. This was mainly due to noticing Riddle's friends, and that she was the only _other _girl along with Lileth.

Lileth didn't mind Sabrina's presence, she stopped caring about her moodiness by lunchtime when she entered late into all the lessons she had with her. Her eye's becoming more red and watery with each hour. No, Sabrina was not Lileth's problem but it was a bit depressing to see someone in such a state. Her conscience told her to let Harry sit next to Tobias (who was not the only seventh year, there were two other Ravenclaw boys at the back) as she took her seat next to Sabrina.

It was her weakness, feeling sorry for people, trying to help them when they didn't really want any. So as soon as she sat down, she instantly regretted. The ferocious glares sent her way from the Lestrange said '_I don't need your help'. _Lileth felt angry for a moment then shrugged it off, rolling her eyes saying '_You're not really in a position to complain'._ After a little staring competition, the two girls settled into silence, minding their own business, which was okay for Lileth. She still had Harry and Tobias to talk to.

Runes was a double lesson but it felt like it had dragged on for hours. Not much happened apart from introductions and a few basic translations. Lileth didn't even bother working them out. If she didn't understand the subject in the present, why try to learn it now? There were more important things anyway...like finding out possible horcruxs.

Every time her mind wandered to the task her heart felt heavy. Dumbledore did plan ahead setting out the task and giving her trunk -etc, etc. But Lileth was still clueless as to how she would find out the objects, more importantly, become _'acquainted'_ with Riddle. Even though it was only the first day, she felt restless. Even if her body was in 1943, her mind was still at the present. The students around hadn't a care in the world, they were only carrying on with their lives but she felt torn between two different eras, almost lonely. Yes, there was Harry but after potions she only saw him at lunch and Runes, he wasn't always going to be around. Tobias and George had quickly become friends with him but Lileth still had yet to find someone in her own house.

'_It's only temporary! Grow up; this isn't the first time you've been away from home. Forget about making friends –stick to the task and find Riddle!' _Was the mantra repeated again and again through her mind like a broken record as she followed the boy in question.

It was dinner time at Hogwarts, which meant most of the students were in the Great Hall stuffing their plates. Lileth was quite hungry herself and about to head in the direction when she was so rudely shoved aside down the stairs. Didn't people know that special phrase '_excuse me?' _Turning around to vent her anger out on the stranger (she was hungry and agitated after all), she was shocked to notice it wasn't a stranger in the first place.

Tom Riddle billowed past students making a beeline for the top of the staircase. Oh, and he was _alone_. That was new...where was his posse of snakes that so religiously followed his every move? Lileth spotted the opportunity, her hunger rapidly disappearing as she jogged after him. At first she felt like calling out and saying something like '_Oh hello Riddle, I'm lost.'_ To strike up a conversation but the idea suddenly died down when she noticed he was in a hurry looking very ...suspicious.

Her bounding footsteps changed into more stealth tip-toeing as she crept slowly behind him. She was so concentrated on not making any rash movements and following his figure that did not cease to stop that she walked into a suit of armour. Jumping behind a stone pillar she hid herself and sure enough Riddle had stopped to glance back, a slight frown falling upon his features until he darted again once more...

Lileth didn't have any more problems after that and followed him dutifully. The only slight irritation was that they had been walking for almost fifteen minutes now (well she stalked while he walked.) It wasn't that she was getting tired, it was just...where was he going? And in such a hurry? Hogwarts was big admittedly, but not big enough to constantly pace for a quarter of and hour and still not reach your destination. It was almost becoming boring. She had practically memorized his back by now after staring at it for so long. Slim and lean, not really all that bad to look at to be honest. Sometimes she followed close enough to notice how his hair had grown slightly longer than she had seen it in the pensieve. The longer ends were slightly curly, almost soft.

_Snap out of it!_

But seriously, it was hard not to notice when you followed the guy for so long. It was starting to get dull; she was surprised at how Riddle _still _hadn't noticed. Wasn't he supposed to be all clever and observant? Maybe he was in such a hurry he didn't realise he was being stalked.

Lileth hoped he would stop, it almost felt like they were walking in circles. She swore they had walked past the same portrait a few times by now...The walk wasn't all that interesting, half her mind told her to just go back down to dinner. He was probably excising or something...Not that he needed it, his body was already skinny. When the Slytherin girl's in her dorm shamelessly admitted they had a crush on Riddle (along with the rest of the year), it wasn't much of a surprise. She could kind of see what they were talking about, he was handsome. No! Don't get her wrong, she didn't have any feelings for the cold blooded snake but she couldn't deny the eye candy as she walked behind him. It was not physical or emotional at all, it was like, admiring a piece of artwork.

Yes, artwork. That's what he was. Not human, but just artwork. Because humans had feelings and their natural instinct (yes, even for the bad guys) was to react to their surroundings, be kind. Humans held emotion for happiness, sadness, love, hate -even the stone cold, evil ones were once children, young and innocent. Lileth knew Riddle had lost that, perhaps not now but he would later. Artwork also had feelings, but the artists. Voldemort had become so destructive, so villainous to rip his soul apart it felt as if fate itself had pushed him to the edge. Like an invisible hand pulling his strings, even he didn't know what he was doing half the time.

Stepping out of her thoughts she noticed how Riddle had come to halt outside a classroom. She recognised it to be the third floor, what was special on the third floor? She quickly hid behind a pillar still keeping her eyes on his figure. But Riddle made no move towards the door, he only placed his hands into his pockets and sighed, from what Lileth heard. Sigh?..._Why would he-_

"You can come out now."

_Shit._

Well there was nothing to it. He knew.

Stepping out of the shadows of the pillar Lileth warily looked at his back feeling a little sheepish. She felt like a kid who got caught stealing candy. Even though Riddle wasn't even looking at her, she could just imagine his face, probably angry for starters...

"Uh...I was just-"But he cut her sentence off.

"It wasn't impressive." He was now facing her. Unlike the angry image she had in mind, Lileth was surprised to see his face blank. It was blank most of the time but she thought he might have opted for some expression on this occasion, just a little. Although, she could sense a bit of emotion in his eyes...was it amusement?

Remembering to speak, she fiddled with the hem of her robes, unable to bring herself to look at him –it was intimidating! Especially being caught in the act of stalking, her mind went as blank as her face.

"What wasn't impressive?" _Oh wait, he's talking about my stalking. Damn._

"Your discreetness." _Oh not stalking, 'discreetness'. Pssh._

Riddle looked at her not bothering to be _discreet_ about his own stare. He felt as if he spoke to a little child stating the obvious which made her feel slightly annoyed at how slowly her brain was processing the situation.

She clenched and unclenched her fists trying to think of a good reason for her stalking, she couldn't just blurt out _'Because Dumbledore told me to.' _At the same time she was trying to steer the question away.

"How long have you known?" She risked a peek at his expression, which consisted of an eye roll, at least it was some reaction compared to the blank stare she received earlier.

"Since you threw yourself into a suit of armour." He lazily drawled out as if the conversation was becoming pointless.

"Hey! I didn't throw myself into it!"

"Sounded like it"

Lileth only remembered a slight tinkering metal noise as she _bumped _into it. Not even a minute passed and he was already treading on nerves. She could already sense he had a huge ego problem and the civil first conversation they shared on her way to the common room was going to be his only. It was like a little preview. Like when you're playing those muggle racing games and then it suddenly stops telling you to pay three more pounds for another minute. Riddle suddenly stopped all pleasantries that night and now treated her like everyone else, silently warning '_Keep your distance, and I'll keep mine'_.

Well she was certainly in dangerous waters if she followed _the _Tom Riddle, master of disguise and soul ripping.

"Shut up." Was the only comeback she could think of, maybe it would even deflate his ego a bit –a _girl _saying that to _him?_

"Grow up."

That's it? The typical response?

He didn't even look angered by the notion of a stranger telling him to shut up; moreover, he looked like he didn't even care. That was strange; Lileth would at least think he'd begin ranting about how superior he is and how inferior she was, etc, etc. But he didn't.

Peeking between the cold front, she noticed how tired he looked. His hair was slightly messy and his shirt hung out loosely against his lean frame. He gave Lileth a deadpanned look, staring straight into her eyes, which was uncomfortable on her behalf. Finally after what seemed like a decade he broke off, sighing once again in agitation.

"Next time, don't follow me."

What? That's it?

He began to turn around in a swift motion with his cloak billowing (even though the corridor wasn't particularly windy?) Lileth was left dumfounded, why was he acting so...detached? Wasn't he suspicious/scared or even angry that someone had been stalking him? Voicing her previous thoughts she called after him before realising the consequences.

"What? That's it?"

_Ooopse!_

He stopped mid-walk and only turned his head to the side not fully in her direction but she could tell there was an annoyed frown on his face, like he had something better to do. In fact she noticed he always had that face, like he always had something -_anything, better to do. _

"What did you expect? An interrogation?"

It was rhetorical of course but Lileth answered anyway.

"Maybe...yes." It was an honest answer, she had expected him to frankly, question her brains out.

There was a pause as they each stared at one another allowing silence to fill in. From one of the side windows she noticed how the sky had turned into a burnt shade of red as the sun began to set. Since it wasn't fully winter yet, sunsets could still be seen at dinner time reminding her of the hot summer. But it wasn't warm outside; the glass was tilted ajar allowing the breeze to hit her face. It was cold, despite the warm front.

"Sorry to disappoint, I don't have any time." With that he faced forward once more, picking up his pace as he turned a corner...and he was gone.

Lileth couldn't follow him now anyway; he knew she was behind him all that time. No wonder the corridors look familiar –he was walking in circles on purpose!

However, even if he didn't know she was following _hypothetically_, she didn't think she had it her to continue her stalk. It was just something about his statement, it was so final. Following him again would just become troublesome.

Something else about his statement put her off. The fact he didn't have time for her, he always had something _bigger, better to do. _She didn't mean it in a pathetic girly way like when girls complained their boyfriends didn't have time for them. Hell no! It wasn't emotional at all, heck -Riddle could hardly compare to the boyfriend example, but it was something like that. Because her mission rotated around_ him,_ she wouldn't be able to progress without his cooperation.

It was unnerving. How he could just shrug her off in seconds, while she grew restless trying to find a way to talk to him. Her whole day was full of scenarios that could draw Riddle's attention but when he appeared in flesh and bone, her mind went blank. It was so pathetic he even walked away not interested in her pursuit.

Lileth Smith was not a threat to Tom Riddle. Just an annoying fly he could pick off on his road to immortality. But that had to change, Lileth had to find out the horcruxs, she had to be that obstacle in the way.

...But maybe...Begin an annoying fly wasn't all that bad.

If he wasn't threatened then maybe, just maybe he'd let his guard down? And when he did, that would be the moment she could scoop up all his secrets including the horcruxs!

But that was just wishful thinking.

_No way_ would he let his guard down, even if Neville Longbottom challenged him to a duel...

"What are you doing?" A female voice suddenly questioned.

Turning around she noticed Sabrina Lestrange staring at her, well more glaring. Out of all the people she could bump into, why her? She was getting sick of seeing her all day and sitting next to her for an hour in Runes. Hell, she'd even have to share a bloody dorm with the girl!

"Nothing, got lost." Lileth replied with a carefree tone already walking away. She could deal with Sabrina's mood swings some other time, preferably tomorrow.

"Sure you were." Her voice dripped with sarcasm just egging Lileth onto retaliate. But she didn't, she had better things to do, the thought sounded very Riddle-like, something he would probably say to her.

Sabrina noticed Lileth carried on walking and unable to stop her, she blurted.

"I saw you. Talking to Riddle" The tone her voice held was accusing, Lileth could only guess why.

Turning around she looked at the girl, her eyes were cold and unwelcoming.

"Why do you care?" Part of her knew the answer but another part wanted to hear it from her point of view. After all the humiliation, did the Lestrange still think she had a chance?

"Because I do."

"Well you should stop caring, starting from now."

"Why?"

"Because it'll save you later on."

Save you in two ways. Save you from further embarrassment of unrequited love (it was getting unbearable to witness). But most importantly, save you from his growing darkness, save you from the future Dark lord.

With that Lileth turned on her heels feeling a little guilty, but it was necessary. In a way she felt like Riddle, leaving her hanging. It was like a constant cycle of want and get. Lileth wanted Riddle's attention but she got brushed off and Sabrina wanted answers but she got the truth. No one was fully content with what they had.


End file.
